1Cademy - Equipotentiality Hypothesis

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Equipotentiality Hypothesis

The equipotentiality hypothesis, formulated by Karl Lashley in 1950, posits that if a specific part of the brain involved in memory is damaged, another part of that same area can take over that memory function. Lashley developed this theory based on the animals' reactions in his lesion experiments, where rats could still navigate a maze regardless of the size or location of the lesion.

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Updated 2026-05-03

Contributors are:

Gemini AI

Natalie Fick

Who are from:

Google

University of Chicago

University of Chicago

References

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

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Behavioral Neuroscience

Psychology

Neuroscience (Neurobiology)

Social Science

Empirical Science

Science

Life Science / Biology

Biomedical Sciences

Natural Science

Ch.8 Memory - Psychology @ OpenStax

OpenStax

Psychology @ OpenStax

Introduction to Psychology @ OpenStax Course

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

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A researcher trains a rat to navigate a complex maze. After the rat has mastered the maze, the researcher creates a small lesion in a part of the cerebral cortex involved in spatial memory. According to the principle that an intact part of a brain area can take over the function of a damaged part of the same area, what is the most likely outcome when the rat is tested in the maze again?